


It May Be Quite Simple

by RoonilWazlibMalfoy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff and Humor, Hermione's Nook's Lovebirds Fest 2021, Love Confessions, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:55:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29432052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoonilWazlibMalfoy/pseuds/RoonilWazlibMalfoy
Summary: Severus adored Regulus Black. It should have been the easiest thing in the world. But Severus wasn't in the habit of making things easy.And then there was a whole thing with birds.
Relationships: Regulus Black/Severus Snape
Comments: 20
Kudos: 55
Collections: Hermione's Nook Lovebirds Fest





	It May Be Quite Simple

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Hermione’s Nook Lovebirds Fest. Thanks to the mods for running such an adorable Valentine's Fest!

His breath came in sharp little pants, his back pressed against the cold stone wall. It was true that anyone could walk in at just that moment, but Severus found that he didn't especially care. No one was likely to come in anyway. The other Slytherins were at the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match. Severus was a casual fan of Quidditch and Regulus was even more of one, but they had more pressing needs at the moment. 

Regulus' hands were on his hips and his mouth was on his throat. He buried his fingers in thick black hair, the same colour as his own but so different in texture, and hissed, "Regulus, please!" He felt as if he were burning up from the inside out; the only thing that could staunch the blaze was Regulus. 

He did not have to ask twice. Rubbing his thumbs over sharp hip bones, Regulus pressed him harder against the wall, the lengths of their bodies slotted tightly together, and rocked. Their mouths found one another again as the pressure to both of their cocks mounted, firm and slick beneath woolen school robes. It took only moments for him to find release, coming hard inside his pants. He didn't care. It was nothing that magic couldn't quickly take care of. 

He continued kissing Regulus, his passion had not diminished even though his own urgency had. There was no one in the world that made him feel the way that Regulus did. It was only ironic that he found all of these emotions with the brother of a sworn enemy. It seemed that life was like that for him, his pleasure always served with a side of bitterness, his happiness with a side of irony. He wondered if anything would ever change. 

Moments later, he felt Regulus stiffen against him as he still rocked against his pelvis. He wrapped his arms around broad shoulders, pulling him in, letting him lean against him as he waved a hand and wandlessly cleaned them both up. 

"Show-off," Regulus murmured against his shoulder as the wet patches in their pants dissipated. Severus smirked. He didn't make a habit of showing off in front of just anyone. First of all, he didn't care what they thought of him and secondly, if they knew that he was powerful and capable, they'd only go out of their way to harass him more. But it was different in front of Regulus; everything was. It felt as natural as breathing, as natural as magic.

Burying his nose in Regulus' hair, he breathed in the scent of him. "We should go to the Quidditch pitch," he said reluctantly. 

Regulus stood up and looked at him, his grey eyes sparkling. "Or we could just stay here," he suggested.

Severus frowned. "Your brother is the most likely to notice both of us gone," he said. "I have no interest in listening to his idiot mouth run if he begins to suspect anything."

"We could just come out with it," Regulus shrugged. "What would they do then?"

Severus shuddered to think about it. They would do nothing to Regulus, the new heir of the Black family. No one would dare to cross him, especially since his brother had been disinherited. Him, on the other hand… no one would have any compunction about crossing a destitute half-blood, here only because of the school's charity. He looked down and began picking at his nails – nails that Regulus had charmed black for him when he'd complained about the stain of potions ingredients. "I don't know what they'd do, but it wouldn't be good," he finally said softly. 

Pursing his lips, Regulus reached out and tilted Severus' chin up so that he was meeting his eyes once more. "We could just go out together next Saturday then," he suggested. "Everyone couples up on Valentine's Day. No one would even notice us." His soft smile, so much kinder than his brother's, made Severus feel all sorts of things. The wicked boy! 

"I'll consider it," he said finally. He couldn't bring himself to say no to that classically handsome face. He had no idea what Regulus saw in him and he couldn't quite bring himself to question it. It was enough that he was there. It was more than enough.

That smile widened briefly before Regulus leaned over and kissed him again, softly, as if he were somehow important, then he stepped away. "Alright," he said. "I'll go up to the game, then. And I'll start making plans for Saturday." He gave Severus a wink and then strode out of the dorm, leaving Severus' head spinning. What the devil was he going to do?

♡●♡●♡●♡

Five days later, he was sitting in the back of the Transfiguration classroom, still unsure how to handle the situation. Every professor they had seemed to have fallen under the spell of romance and were teaching all manner of love related charms, spells, and potions. He wished that he could just forget the whole thing. 

It wasn't that he didn't like Regulus. After giving it some thought, he decided that he did quite like Regulus. Very much so. It was not a relationship of convenience – in fact, it was rather inconvenient just then – and he was not using Regulus in any way. He genuinely liked him in every way. It came as something of a surprise, if he was being honest. 

Even still, the potential problems that this relationship could cause for him were difficult to resolve in his mind. Happiness could only come at a cost for him and he knew it. Was this particular happiness worth tipping the scales over? The only thing he was certain of was that he was tired of trying to figure it out and he was tired of love and romance being shoved in his face at every turn as he tried. 

He was still lost in thought and indecision as Professor McGonagall entered the room and began her lecture. "Mr. Snape," she called. How did she always seem to know when someone wasn't paying attention? She never failed to call them out on it either. "Can you tell me what these are?"

Focusing on the wire cage behind her, he barely suppressed a sigh. "They are lovebirds, Madam," he said in a dry voice as the rest of the class snickered. Obviously they didn't expect him to have any use for such a thing; he wasn't particularly certain that he wanted to have any use for such a thing. 

"Correct, Mr. Snape," she said. "Five points to Slytherin." Her lips tightened and he got the sense that she didn't love giving points to Slytherin. He smirked. 

"These birds shall be aiding us in the Love Notes spell," she continued. "The incantation is Cor Meum Revelare and the wand movement is like this," she swished her wand in demonstration and one of the birds was transfigured into a soft cream-coloured envelope. "What is on the note will depend on what is in your heart; think of the note as a reflection of your feelings, of your heart. You may deliver them to your beloved and they will become birds once more after they've been read." She smiled and waved her wand again, directing the birds to fly out to the class, one landing in front of each student. 

He glanced up at the bird in front of him. It was a rather nice shade of green. It trilled softly at him when he looked at it. Did it really want to be a love note? he wondered. That didn't seem like a particularly satisfying life goal if you asked him. He ignored the bird and pulled his potions text from his bag. He'd put money on the fact that love notes would not be covered on the NEWTS and he didn't even have any money to bet with. He decided that his time would be better spent correcting this horrid text than turning a bird into one, whether it wanted it or not. 

As he worked, the little bird pecked at his fingers and, once, tried to make off with his wand. He rebuked it sternly then dipped his quill in a pot of ink, continuing to cross out instructions and make little notes in the margins. He was partway through the section on Poison Antidotes when Professor McGonagall came to stand before him. 

"Interesting as I'm sure that is, Mr. Snape, it is not what you're meant to be working on in my class," she said. He scrawled  _ Just shove a bezoar down their throat  _ quickly across the top of the page, then looked up at her.

"My apologies, Professor," he said smoothly, doing his best to channel Lucius Malfoy's poise. "I assumed that this was more of a festive lesson than something we were required to do."

Her eyes narrowed further and he could almost see her tail flicking behind her in irritation. "I rather think it is up to me to say what is required in my class, Mr. Snape. Not you," she said firmly. She continued to stand there looking down at him, so he inclined his head in acknowledgment then gripped his wand in his left hand.

"Cor Meum Revelare," he intoned, swishing his wand in the bird's general direction. The bird flattened out, slipping seamlessly into the form of a cream-coloured envelope that looked exactly as the professor's had. He gave her a tight little smile and then, without bothering to flip the envelope over to see who it was addressed to, he waved his wand again and said, "Evanesco," and the envelope disappeared with a soft pop.

Professor McGonagall looked down at him, wincing. "That was a live bird, Mr. Snape," she said.

He shrugged. "It wanted to be a love note. Now it always will be," he said dismissively. 

After giving a disgruntled little huff, she said, "Very well. I see that you're proficient at the love note spell, at least, so I'll leave you to it." 

Severus smirked again but, as she walked away, he found that his potions text did not hold the same level of interest as it had moments before. There was no doubt in his mind that the note that had appeared was for Regulus.  _ From his heart, _ he sneered. Perhaps he should have looked to see what it had to say. 

♡●♡●♡●♡

At dinner that evening he sat at the Slytherin table, glaring at the Gryffindors as he picked at his roast. He still couldn't get the thought of that ridiculous bird off of his mind; the bird, the note, Valentine's Day, and Regulus, all tied together, all stubbornly occupying his thoughts. And it was all the fault of the Marauders. 

If looks could have killed, Gryffindor would have four fewer students and Severus would have a much better life. It was their fault that he was popular in his unpopularity, their fault that he was more than just a poor loser that everyone ignored. It was their fault that was noticed and that his relationship with Regulus would be the cause of much trouble for both of them if it ever got out. He hated them. 

Well. He hated everyone. But he hated them the most. 

"How was your day?" Regulus asked, his cheeks flushed from Quidditch practice, as he slid into the seat beside him. Beneath the table, his hand slid onto Severus' knee and squeezed gently. Briefly, Severus covered that hand with his own, then withdrew. 

"Adequate," he said. "Nothing of great interest happened which is possibly the best I can hope for."

Regulus chuckled. "Merlin, I hope not," he said. Was that infernal cheerfulness just something that came with wealth and good looks and popularity? Severus supposed he'd never know. He wondered, for about the thousandth time, what on earth Regulus saw in him. "I've come up with a plan for Valentine's," he said quietly, so no one else could hear. "But I'd like to get together in private first. Tomorrow evening?"

Breathing a small sigh of relief, Severus agreed. Private was something he could do, something he thought he was good at. What he and Regulus had in private was easily the best thing in his life. That was the very reason he was hesitant to share it with the rest of the population of Hogwarts. 

"Brilliant!" Regulus said, smiling as if he'd been granted something wonderful and not just another private meeting with the resident school weirdo. He changed the subject then, confident that Severus needed no convincing and desired no attention. He launched into a story from Quidditch practice, of how he'd had to dive hard and fast for the Snitch these evening after it evaded him for nearly all of practice. That was why he'd been late; he couldn't stand to end things without having first succeeded. 

Severus watched him carefully as he spoke, his animated expression, his shining grey eyes. Obviously, everyone within their school was magical or they wouldn't be here, but to Severus, there was no one more magical than Regulus Black. It was true that he had pure blood, old money, and popularity, but it was something more than that, something deeper; Regulus was the kindest, most accepting, most gentle person that he'd ever met. He worked hard and he expected nothing to be given to him. Furthermore, he looked at Severus with those eyes, with that perfect face, and he saw something worth caring about. He was pure magic.

"I'm glad you caught it," Severus said after a beat. Clearly Regulus had been waiting for him to reply for a moment. He felt his cheeks colour slightly as he looked back at him. 

"Oh, Sev," Regulus laughed. "I really like you," he said and Severus felt his face grow even warmer. He turned his attention back to his plate. 

♡●♡●♡●♡

The following evening arrived far too quickly for Severus' tastes. He knew that he liked Regulus. He knew that he would do absolutely anything for him and that he'd be more than willing to stay by his side for all eternity, or until Regulus got tired of him, which he thought was far more likely. The thing that left him feeling uncertain was the idea of putting labels on what they were and, beyond that, what the other student in the school – particularly certain Gryffindor arseholes – would do to tear those labels down once they'd established them. They could never allow Severus happiness. That much, he knew.

The main consolation, for Friday anyway, was the fact that whatever they were getting up to, whatever Regulus had planned, was going to be just the two of them. 

He dressed methodically. He had no nice clothes, so there was no chance for him to be choosy about what he wore to meet Regulus. Lucius had, for his birthday, given him a set of black robes, insisting that he'd find them useful after finishing school, but they left him feeling rather unsettled, so he avoided them in favour of his usual worn attire. At least Regulus knew what to expect from him.

At precisely 6pm, when the other students were heading to the Great Hall for dinner, he made his way to the Transfiguration corridor where Regulus had suggested they meet, then leaned against the wall to wait.

"How are you always right on time?" Regulus called as he walked quickly down the hall to Severus. "I swear I left before you did!"

"I walk quickly," Severus replied. There was no need to mention that he walked quickly in hopes of avoiding harassment. Regulus knew his brother, after all, so he likely already knew the rest as well.

Reaching out, he grabbed Severus' hand and held it for a moment as he smiled over at him. His hand was warm and calloused and it felt like heaven. "Professor McGonagall gave me permission to bring someone here," he said. "I didn't tell her who though," he followed up quickly. "She didn't ask."

"That's probably for the best," Severus said thoughtfully. "She might not be very happy with me at the moment." He still rather regretted vanishing the little green bird, but overall it had seemed better than revealing some part of himself that he didn't want seen. He followed Regulus into a small store-room beside the classroom and waited as he lit a few candles to brighten the room. 

When he saw what Regulus had set up there, he couldn't keep a genuine smile from his face. On a table in the center of the cramped little room was a neat little picnic. Cucumber sandwiches and tea, scones and honey and clotted cream were spread out on a dark green tablecloth. What looked to be a small wire cage sat covered with a cloth in the corner of the room. 

"I know you don't like eating in front of everyone," Regulus said, looking hopeful. "I thought maybe you wouldn't mind if it was just me, though."

Severus pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Regulus' narrow waist. That Regulus had been so thoughtful of his neurosis instead of looking down on him for it meant more than he could say. "I don't mind you," he murmured, then pressed his lips softly against his. "You're too good for me."

"Nope," Regulus said as he gently drew back. "We're perfect for each other, Sev. Someday you'll see that." Severus wasn't sure that he would ever feel worthy of him, but, looking at Regulus' soft smile, he couldn't bring himself to disagree.

They sat across from one another and ate, talking happily. Well, Regulus talked happily. Severus sat and listened happily. He could never get enough of listening to Regulus laugh and joke, of listening to his thoughts on the things he'd learned in class. He may have been a year behind Severus, but he was more intelligent and witty than most people who were older than both of them. 

"Severus," Regulus began as he finished eating. "Professor McGonagall taught us a spell yesterday – I'm sure she taught your class too – and I was hoping we could practice it together?" His face was a blend of nervous and hopeful and whatever objections Severus had had to the love note spell disappeared as he looked at Regulus. 

"Very well," Severus said softly. "I don't know what it might say. It might be blank, for all i know. I didn't look at it."

Regulus laughed. "Of course you didn't," he said as he levitated the cloth off of the cage. "If you don't want to do it, I'll understand. I just," he bit his lip, "I want you to see mine." He opened the cage and drew out two bright green birds. 

Holding his hand out, Severus allowed one of the little birds to hop onto his palm. It looked the same as the one he'd vanished the previous day but nothing about the situation was the same. Being there with someone he cared deeply about instead of in a room full of people he hated made all the difference in the world. He found that he really did want to know what his love note would say now that he was here meeting Regulus' soft eyes instead of being under the watchful gaze of a stern teacher.

"Cor Meum Revelare," he said, waving his wand then watching as the bird transfigured into a flat, cream-coloured envelope, just as it had done before. This time, he flipped it over to see, in a dark green script, the words "Regulus Arcturus Black". Passing the letter over, he watched with interest as Regulus repeated his actions.

The envelope that Regulus handed to him looked very similar to his own, made of thick creamy parchment with neat swirling letters on the front although his were a bright cerulean and read Severus Tobias Snape. Severus wondered for a moment if the colour of the ink meant anything particular or if it was just another aspect of "the heart's reflection," whatever that meant. Regulus gave him an encouraging nod, so he cracked open the wax seal on the envelope and withdrew the parchment within. 

The letters were written in Regulus' neat penmanship, the ink the same bright blue as the writing on the envelope had been.

_ Severus, _

_ I know you think that you're unworthy of affection and I want you to know that that is a lie. I'd like nothing better than to be able to curse everyone who has ever made you feel that way.  _

_ Well, perhaps there is one thing I'd like more: to be able to show everyone how much I care for you. You, my intelligent, funny, sexy, wonderful boyfriend.  _

_ Love always, _

_ Regulus _

Severus swallowed thickly around the lump that had formed in his throat. It was as if Regulus had known exactly what he needed to hear, as if the very reflection of his heart was reaching out to him, soothing his insecurities and making him feel loved, adored in a way that he had never felt before. Suddenly, he understood what all the fuss about love was about. He read over the words once more, committing them to memory before the parchment shifted and he was left with a little green bird sitting on the palm of his hand.

He grinned widely at Regulus, his heart feeling light, euphoric, for the first time in his wretched life. He couldn't imagine what he'd done to deserve the love of the man sitting across from him, but after seeing it on parchment, he could accept that it was real and genuine. "Go on, then," he said, motioning with his hand and causing the little lovebird to flutter into the air. He hoped that whatever his heart had to say to Regulus made him as happy as Regulus had made him. 

Breaking open the seal, Regulus withdrew his own love note, read for a second then burst into laughter. Severus felt his face fall. He knew, after the letter he'd just read, that Regulus wouldn't be laughing at him, but amusement was absolutely not the reaction he'd hoped for.

"Just forget it," he snapped, holding his hand out for the letter. 

"No! No, Severus, I love this so much!" Regulus gasped. "Merlin, it's so you. I will cherish these words always," he said, struggling to reign in his laughter. "Listen," he said, then read aloud.

_ Regulus,  _

_ I despise every person on this earth, but I find that I do not hate you.  _

_ Love,  _

_ Severus _

A small smile crept back onto Severus' face. "Well," he said, as his own letter shifted back into its bird form and hopped onto the table to join its companion. "I meant that with all my heart."

"I know you did," Regulus said as he stood and walked around the table. Severus then found himself with a lap full of Black – the good one – and couldn't complain even for a second. "I love you, Severus Snape," he said, then pressed his lips tenderly to Severus'. They had kissed before, of course. Many times. But something felt different about that time. The difference between hoping that he was liked and knowing that he was loved was astounding. Wrapping his arms around Regulus' waist, he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue against Regulus', loving the feel of him in his arms, pressed against his body.

"And I love you," he murmured against Regulus' soft lips. "Let's go to Hogsmeade together tomorrow."

Pulling back, Regulus smiled then leaned in and pressed his forehead against Severus'. "You mean it?" he asked breathlessly. "You don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all," Severus said, surprised that he truly meant that. "I look forward to showing you how much I do not hate you, after all." He paused, then added, "And perhaps it will have the added bonus of angering some of those that I do hate."

Regulus laughed then kissed him again. "That's my Sev," he said. "Ever the optimist."


End file.
